His Mute Wife: He Can't Sleep After She Left-Chapter 40: Ethan Sinclair Made the First Move

Chapter 40: Chapter 40: Ethan Sinclair Made the First Move

After Kiana Sutton dropped Evan Shepherd off at the hospital, she took the chance to visit his grandmother as well.

Evan and his family still lived in an old-style residential area with no elevator.

The elderly woman was getting on in years, and when she came down the stairs, she wasn’t careful and tumbled down the steps.

Fortunately, she protected her head as she fell, but even so there were several fractures that required hospitalization.

Once Kiana helped complete the admission paperwork, Evan escorted her out to the hospital entrance.

"Kiana, I can’t thank you enough today—if it hadn’t been for you, I don’t know when I would’ve caught a cab."

Kiana smiled gently. "Everyone has tough times sometimes. We’re friends, so we help each other out."

"Mm, I’ll treat you to a meal some other day."

Kiana rode off on her bike, while Evan watched her leaving with a smile.

Kiana may be mute, but she’s more hardworking than anyone he knows.

She tackles work with energy, loves her life, and never complains about its unfairness.

By the time Kiana got home, it was already dark.

"Young Madam, you’re finally back."

Kiana nodded, smiling, and took off her helmet.

Chelsea Chapman took it from her and whispered to Kiana, "Sir is at home, and he wants you to go to his study after you’ve had dinner and showered."

Knowing Ethan Sinclair was waiting, Kiana dared not dawdle. She ate quickly, showered, then went to Ethan’s study.

Kiana had never been inside Ethan’s study before. She knocked a few times, and when no one answered, she carefully pushed the door open and entered.

No matter how lightly Kiana walked, the bells on her ankle still jingled loudly every step she took.

Ethan was standing at his desk practicing calligraphy. He didn’t look up when he heard the bells, but his elegant brows quirked slightly, and the words at the tip of his brush went a bit awry.

When he finished the last stroke, Ethan set down his brush, his deep eyes glancing at Kiana’s ankle.

"You do know your place."

Kiana was worried Ethan would hassle her for taking off the bell earlier, so after her shower she’d hurried to put it back on.

Ethan Sinclair was unpredictable—if he really decided to punish her, she’d better forget about going to work tomorrow.

Seeing Kiana standing at just the right distance—not too near, not too far—Ethan beckoned with a finger. "Come here."

Kiana walked over and saw the characters Ethan had written.

"Snow presses pine and laurel in the yard, little dots of silk lanterns hang in the corridor."

Ethan clearly practiced calligraphy often; his writing is bold, every stroke deep and powerful.

Kiana’s phone suddenly rang. She just started to glance down when Ethan’s voice sounded: "Hand it over."

Kiana was stunned. Why did Ethan want her phone?

Checking up on her?

Kiana handed her phone to Ethan. Ethan took it but didn’t open it—instead, he set it down on his desk.

Then he yanked Kiana toward himself, pressing her down over the desk.

The calligraphy he’d just finished was still wet with ink; the scent hitting her nose was dizzying. Ethan gripped Kiana’s chin, leaning his weight over her.

Kiana held her breath in nervousness, barely daring to make a sound.

"I heard you’ve started a little side hustle at work, drawing avatars to make extra cash?"

Kiana’s heart skipped a beat.

How the hell did Ethan know about that?

He wasn’t going to use this as an excuse to fire her, was he?

No way!

She couldn’t risk losing this job over something so trivial!

Just as Kiana was about to sign with her hands, Ethan pinned her wrists above her head.

"I’ve heard a lot of people have been adding you on WeChat lately. How about this—starting now, every time someone adds you, we do it once. If ten people add you, then we do it ten times."

Ethan said it so casually, but Kiana felt her heart shudder in terror.

He hadn’t even started, and already her waist was aching.

"Someone just added you, so... let’s get started."

Kiana had no way to resist and could only pray that nobody else added her tonight.

But before they even finished the first round, her phone rang again...

"Twice..."

"Three times..."

"Five times..."

"Seven times..."

Each time Ethan counted, Kiana’s heart quaked with dread.

Ethan was in an excellent mood, thoroughly enjoying Kiana’s shamed yet helpless expression.

The next morning.

When Kiana was jolted awake by her phone alarm, she felt like she’d been run over by a truck—her whole body was sore and weak.

She reached out to silence the alarm, struggling to sit up, when a strong arm curled around her slender waist.

Kiana froze, memories of last night’s wild chaos rushing through her mind.

From the study to the bathroom, and somehow they’d ended up in Ethan’s room...

And here she was, waking up in Ethan Sinclair’s bed.

It was Ethan who started things last night—he better not blame her for ending up in his bed!

She glanced over, saw Ethan still asleep, and tried to sneak away, but the "sleeping" man suddenly rolled over, trapping her under him.

Kiana stared up at Ethan in disbelief, frantically signing, "I’m going to be late for work..."

"After you fell asleep last night, your phone rang again."

Kiana: "..."

"Anything you start, you have to finish. You understand?"

She understood, but if she was late, she’d lose her perfect attendance bonus!

"Can we leave it for next time... please?"

Ethan scowled faintly, lips curling. "No. What’s for today, is settled today."

Kiana: "..."

After another bout of torment from Ethan Sinclair first thing in the morning, Kiana was exhausted in body and soul. With just half an hour left till work, she hurriedly got up, washed her face, and dashed off to the office.

Ethan came downstairs and, not seeing Kiana, asked, "Where is she?"

"Young Madam already left."

Chelsea Chapman was shrewd as ever. She immediately grabbed the packed breakfast and said to Ethan, "Sir, Young Madam rushed out without breakfast. She’s physically weak—how about you bring this breakfast to her for me?"

"Do I look like someone who delivers breakfast to people?"

Chelsea: "Sorry, I overstepped."

Kiana rushed to the office, but still arrived late.

Standing in front of the punch-in machine, she felt utterly deflated—like she’d just lost millions. Not an ounce of energy left.

"Kiana, it’s no big deal. Perfect attendance is only five thousand. Haven’t you made a bunch drawing for people lately? Just count that as your attendance bonus!"

Amy Manning’s "comfort" only made things worse. Kiana was turning to head back to work when suddenly everything went black in front of her eyes...

She’d been put through the wringer last night, didn’t eat breakfast, and with anemia and low blood sugar on top of hunger, her thin body finally gave out.

"Kiana... what’s wrong?"

Amy grabbed Kiana, and Evan Shepherd, hearing the commotion, hurried over too.

Seeing Kiana’s face was deathly pale, Evan said worriedly, "It’s probably low blood sugar. Amy, go get some glucose water."

"Okay, okay..."

Amy sprinted off for glucose water. Evan helped Kiana to a chair, and after the two gave her some water, Evan pulled a bun out of his bag.

"Here, eat this bun."

Kiana was so hungry she was dizzy; she didn’t care about anything else and devoured the bun right away.

When Ethan Sinclair arrived at the office, what he saw was Kiana and Evan sitting together—Kiana eating a bun, Evan tending a bottle of milk to her every so often.

Kiana even gave him a smile from time to time—the whole scene, so cozy and sweet.

"Bang..."

Ethan coldly and without hesitation tossed the breakfast box in his hand straight into the trash.